


Love and Horrors

by SeraphJewel



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2019-01-15 10:25:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 21,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12319152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeraphJewel/pseuds/SeraphJewel
Summary: On a dark and stormy night, one monster reached out to another. The storm passes and the connection between them continues to grow. Frankenwolf, alternate events after 2.12





	1. Waiting Room

Once everyone was sure the visitor would live and, arguably more importantly, had not seen any magic, they all went back to their homes. Victor still felt wired and took to walking the halls. The hospital had always been a fairly quiet place. The comatose David and the ever-growing Henry were his only consistent patients for years. Tonight was the most active Victor had ever seen the place. The adrenaline of that alone was a rush, but adding to that his successful surgery and the energy was electrifying. 

Victor felt so _alive_ , full of purpose again.

He passed by the waiting area and paused when he saw a familiar figure. "Hey. What are you still doing here?"

Ruby lifted her head and smiled at him. "Hey. I'm waiting to see Belle. With all that was going on with that guy, I didn't really get a chance to check on her." Victor's lips moved up to match her smile. Ruby truly was an amazing person. Even during the curse, she was always friendly and kind to others. 

Victor invited himself to sit next to her. She had found the time to go to the library and get a book. He guessed it was for Belle.

"What book is that?"

"Oh, it's a book about wizards and magic." Her smile turned more amused. "You think some of the cursed names here are a little too spot-on? One of the characters here is basically called Wolf McWolferson." Her amusement was so infectious Victor found himself laughing. Ruby's eyes sparkled at him in delight.

"Speaking of names," Victor mused, "I don't actually know yours. Your real one."

"It's Liza." Their eyes met and Victor's heart skipped a beat. Everyone called her "Ruby", even her closest friends. Yet she gave her real name to Victor without a second thought.

"Liza." He liked the way it sounded. Victor's gaze lingered on her a moment longer before he broke contact. "I'm not sure receptive Belle is to visitors," he warned her, "but you're welcome to try."

"Thanks." She squeezed his hand, hopping to her feet. "See you later," she called over her shoulder.

Victor watched her go, letting out a sigh. His fingers still tingled from that squeeze. He flexed them a few times but the sensation didn't go away.

Eventually he rose to his feet and continued his rounds. Full of purpose... and something more.


	2. Working Hard

Many people left their jobs or found new ones when the curse broke. Ruby, she stayed right where she was at her grandmother's diner. She might have said it while she was still cursed, but the feeling rang true: she loved the place. She loved the smell of freshly-poured coffee, the sizzle of the fryers, the pace that could never be predicted, and the fact that she could brighten up a person's day simply by remembering exactly how much butter they liked on their pancakes.

Somehow the diner seemed so much more important now that the curse was broken. It was a comfortable place, an unspoken neutral ground. Even Regina and Gold respected the four walls of the diner.

There was one change to the diner Ruby couldn't help noticing: the customers. There weren't as many as there used to be, at least on the shifts she worked. Ruby didn't think anything of it when she first counted down the drawers, but the pattern persisted to the point where there was no denying that they did more business on her days off. She didn't even need to check the last few months to see when the trend started.

Ruby always jogged through the woods after closing the diner for the night. Nights when the drawer showed her they had great business, she ran a little harder.

She knew she shouldn't feel grateful for that stranger coming into town, but he at least gave everyone something else to focus on. Emma declaring him harmless did little to soothe the anxious masses. There was an atmosphere of uncertainty that hadn't been felt since the curse first broke. Everyone would be looking to Mary Margaret, David and Emma for answers; Ruby had to be ready in case they needed her.

And then there was Belle. She had been understandably guarded when Ruby spoke with her. Ruby knew she shouldn't push, but she yearned for the friendship that started to form between them. Though lately, she found herself yearning for another friendship even more.

It was a strange sensation, having memories of someone and yet only just recently getting to know them. With everyone else, the transition was easier: they'd known each other back in the Enchanted Forest. Victor was from another land altogether. Ruby had known nothing about him before their talk on the docks.

Yet somehow that one talk formed a deep understanding between them.

Her mind kept drifting back to him. Every time the diner's door opened, Ruby's heart jumped and her eyes shot over eagerly. But it never turned out to be Victor. Of course not; he had a lot of work to do at the hospital. Still, Ruby couldn't help feeling disappointed.

When days passed by without him coming by the diner, Ruby decided to take matters into her own hands and bring the diner to him. She also dropped by the library to bring a book for Belle. Of course she was concerned for her friend, but a small part of her was making an excuse so it wouldn't seem like she was dropping by _just_ to see Victor.

Ruby had to roll her eyes at herself. Since when had she been less than confident around anyone, especially men?

She already knew the answer to that question.


	3. Reconstruction

Victor avoided going back to his condo in the first few days after the curse broke. There was so much to do with the wraith's aftermath that half the time he slept at the hospital. Then everything happened with Daniel and he started scheduling himself for double or triple shifts, anything to keep busy. Anything to avoid the memories he revived when he tapped into his real self.

David and Ruby's words echoed back in his mind. _We are both. A second chance._ He proved that to himself when he saved that man's life. He faced himself as Frankenstein; now he knew it was time to face himself as Doctor Whale.

The condo was stale and dusty from neglect. When Victor turned on the lights, he half expected them to start flickering. But no, they stayed bright and chased off all the shadows. He went over to the bookcase first. Full of medical texts, of course, but also featuring science-fiction and mystery novels. His entertainment system included the best television available in the early 80's and speakers strategically placed in the living room so the music would sound just right. He put in one of his favorites from the cursed days and was pleased that he still liked it.

All the furniture in the living room was comfortable and inviting, and the bedroom was much the same. Everything was very clean and organized. If he ever actually had much female company, they would've been impressed. Not even his office was that cluttered. Aside from a half-finished Rubiks cube, there were hardly any signs someone used the space at all. 

Victor picked up the cube and started twisting it between his hands. He remembered doing this a lot as Doctor Whale. Focusing on the puzzle was relaxing for him. He continued to absently fiddle with it as he finished his walk of the condo. It was all familiar, yet at the same time it was like walking through the house of a stranger. A dual sense of belonging and disconnect.

That feeling in itself was familiar to him. Even back in his own world, Victor was the odd one. The one with the strange ideas, the unorthodox methods. But they were all strangers in a strange land now. None of them belonged, and all of them were home. Second chances... being both.

Victor twisted the cube one last time and set the completed puzzle back down on his office desk.

The first thing he needed to do was find a place where he could do his other work. He was desperate when he used the hospital equipment to bring back Daniel. Victor couldn't take that risk again. Whatever way he decided to continue his work, it needed to be where people couldn't be hurt. He decided to drive around town until he found something that looked suitable for his purposes. Or maybe a little outside town would be better. In the woods, perhaps.

He finally found the perfect spot. The building might've once been someone's garage, but it was empty now. Victor could already visualize where he was going to set up all the vials and beakers, where the microscope would go. When he wasn't at the hospital he was in that garage. It felt so good to be working on a project again.

He was sitting in his office at the hospital, sketching out ideas on how to wire his new lab, when a knock disturbed him. Since he revealed himself as Frankenstein, the staff hardly ever bothered him. This disturbance was likely because of a problem they couldn't solve on their own. Victor rolled to his feet, opened the door... and his mood immediately improved.

"Hello, Liza." Ruby's real name flowed out so naturally, as if he'd been calling her that for years rather than just having learned it a few days ago. She responded with a smile that sent warmth through his whole body. Followed by the sinking realization he hadn't gone by Granny's to see her. He used to drop by every day, but working on his lab had left him little time for anything else.

"Hi. You haven't been by the diner in a while, so I brought you a few things. Just to make sure you're eating." Touched, Victor looked inside the basket she brought and found all his favorite foods. She'd tucked everything together so nothing would shift or spill, and the sandwiches were still hot. Victor had to swallow a few times before he could speak properly.

"Thank you. This means a lot to me."

"Oh." A touch of red colored her cheeks. Victor couldn't remember ever seeing Ruby blush before. "You're welcome. I'm hoping it'll entice you to come back to the diner."

"I never really came to the diner for the food." It was the sort of line his cursed self might've used, except in this case it was honest. 

He was drawn to Ruby for as long as he could remember. The red of her outfits caught his eye first, seeming so exotic to him. Victor knew now it was because of the memories of first meeting Rumplestiltskin, and seeing that bright color for the first time, but in those cursed days all he knew was that this woman stood out. The more he got to know her, the more he liked her. Which was why he was now mentally fumbling for words.

"I'm building a lab," he finally told her. "That's why I haven't come by lately. It's off in the woods so if any of my experiments get loose, they won't bother anyone." He set the basket on his desk, sticking his hands in his pockets. "So would you like to come see it when it's done?"

"I'd love that. You'll have to come by the diner and let me know."

"Yeah," he agreed. "Absolutely. I'll do that."

"Good." She gave him a gentle poke. "I'd better see you soon, then."

Victor nodded, in a bit of a daze as he watched her go. _Did I just ask her out on a date?_ he wondered. _And did she just say "yes"?_


	4. Breakfast

Ruby couldn't stop smiling the whole way back home after visiting Victor. She felt a little guilty about it, knowing what Belle was going through, but not so much that the giddiness died completely. Thanks to her idea of bringing him food, she was guaranteed another visit from him no matter how long it took for him to finish his lab. And his invitation to visit his lab sounded a lot like a date.

The last time she felt like this about a guy, it was with Peter. His loss still hurt but she couldn't dwell on that pain forever. 

Ruby didn't have to wait long to see Victor again. He came into the diner the very next day. She was a little surprised he went through all that food so quickly, but she wouldn't complain about getting to see him. It would've been safe to assume he was coming from a break at work, but Ruby hardly ever saw him in anything other than a suit and tie. 

"The food was delicious, Liza," he told her, setting the empty basket on the counter. She could feel Granny stiffen on hearing him say her granddaughter's real name. "But something was missing... something I can only get from being at the diner."

"Can't imagine what that would be," she mused, eyes sparkling at him. His mouth lifted up into a smile.

"I'm working the graveyard shift tonight," Victor mentioned. Ruby bit the inside of her cheek but it was actually Victor who laughed. "Yeah, I know, I'm really embracing the brand now. Anyway, that means I'll be off work early. I was planning to come by here for breakfast."

"It so happens I'll be working the morning shift," she returned, "so I'll be here."

"See you tomorrow, then." Ruby knew she was grinning like an idiot, and she didn't care. She was just glad Granny held her tongue until Victor had walked back outside.

"Since when do you go by 'Liza'?"

"It's my name." Ruby shrugged her shoulders. "He asked me what it was and I told him." She turned away, taking the pot of coffee and intending to go around freshening everyone's cup. She could feel her grandmother's judgmental gaze following her. Curse or no, some things didn't change. 

But when she walked by, she saw that Granny's eyes were more puzzled than judging. "It's just," she said as Ruby came back to brew a fresh pot again, "you never even told Snow White your real name."

Ruby didn't know how to respond. She couldn't explain it without talking about that night on the docks, and that moment was too precious to share. "He asked," was all she could manage.

She really was working the morning shift the following day. It was one of the busier times in the diner, but Ruby was determined to steal a few minutes alone with Victor. She offered to work another server's shift in return for them covering part of hers that day, and to her surprise there was no objection from Granny. Of course Ruby _was_ part owner of the business and allowed to make such decisions, but Granny had to know the reason behind this one. Yet she didn't say a word.

Ruby spent a long time staring at her clothes. What did one even wear to a breakfast date? If this even _was_ a date. It felt like one, but she wasn't sure. Ruby flirted a lot during the curse but didn't have that much experience actually dating. Eventually she settled on one of her favorite outfits. It wasn't too flashy, but it was enough to show she'd made an extra effort for Victor. A subtle way of hoping this was, in fact, a date.

Not that Victor's choice in wardrobe was going to clue her in. He did look damn fine in a suit, so at least he was playing to his strengths. The moment he stepped into the diner his eyes found her. Ruby could swear he was blushing, but she had to be imagining it. Victor finally broke out of his daze and settled into a booth. Ruby got coffee started for them and hurried to claim the seat across from him.

"Good morning, Victor," she greeted him. "How was your shift last night?"

"Quiet. Hook discovered jello, so that's been keeping him busy." She chuckled at that comment. Did he always have such a good sense of humor? "Mendel is healing nicely. He should be ready to leave town in another week or so. And I had a good talk with Belle. With or without memories, she does love to read. I noticed she was going through The Mysterious Island and I suggested she read Around the World in 80 Days next. That one's my favorite."

"Really?" Ruby's eyebrow raised in interest.

"A man who seems to have an impossible dream, whose colleagues doubt his abilities. It's a story I can relate with. Plus there's adventure, traveling, finding love--" He stopped himself too late. Ruby didn't dare breathe. Victor broke the moment first. "It's a good story."

"I'll have to read it."

Victor smiled at that, taking a sip of his coffee. He seemed as awkward and unsure of himself as Ruby felt. But then, hadn't they both been given flirty, confident cursed personas? Maybe, like her, Victor was highly conscious of that persona.

Victor cleared his throat. "So I know you and Mary Margaret are best friends. That means you probably heard about what happened between us."

"I was working the night your date with her bombed," Ruby reminded him. Of course she knew she hadn't helped: she had purposefully leaned over in hopes of getting his attention. She knew what he was really talking about and spared him from saying it himself. "I know you slept with her. I saw David punch you and asked Snow what it was about."

"Ah. Yeah, well..." Their food arrived, briefly pausing the conversation. "I knew I was a rebound but I still went for it," Victor continued. "Yeah, we were cursed but I still felt like I should tell you." They both saved themselves the trouble of more words by focusing on their food for a while. "I always liked you, Liza," Victor mentioned after a while. "And I don't think that was part of the curse."

Ruby swallowed hard. She thought again of that date he had with Mary Margaret and Ruby's efforts to draw his attention, of how when she was running away he reached out to her and their eyes kept meeting. Of how she overheard him asking about the nuns when the curse first broke, and she was stung.

"I don't think it was for me, either." Their food was half-eaten and getting cold, but neither were interested any longer.

"You still want to come by and see my lab?" Victor asked hopefully.

Ruby dropped her hand under the table, finding his and locking their fingers together. "Absolutely. It's a date." His eyes lit up and she felt him squeeze her fingers.

"A date," he echoed. "I'd better get to work finishing it, then."


	5. Perspective

Despite it postponing his date with Liza, Victor was pleased to have the hospital bustling again. His staff could be uneasy around him all they liked; he still remained the only person in the entire town who was an actual doctor. No amount of cursed memories could substitute real experience. It did annoy him a little that they all still referred to him as "Doctor Whale", but maybe that was easier for them than using his real name. Anyway, he never really had a problem with people calling him whatever they wanted.

Victor was just glad that in his rampage, the giant managed to not hit the hospital. So far all of the admitted injuries weren't too severe, but still, Victor liked having his equipment intact just in case.

Unsurprisingly, Greg Mendel popped his head out to investigate the commotion. Victor wished he could just send the guy on his way, but no doctor would release a patient so soon after surgery. After gently ushering Mendel back into his room, Victor decided this was a good time to check in on his other patients. 

"Is everything all right, Doctor Frankenstein?" Belle asked him.

"Yeah, just a giant tearing through the town. David and Mary Margaret took care of it."

When Liza told him that Belle was being sedated, he was furious. He would've turned the nurse responsible over to Gold right then if the man hadn't been out of town. It was even worse when he discovered the psych ward and the fact that Belle had been in his hospital throughout the curse without his knowledge. The giant's rampage was a welcome distraction from the emotions that realization brought up.

"Anything I can do to help?" Belle wondered.

"Sure. You can help admit patients. If the injury is bad enough, grab a nurse." She nodded and headed off. She seemed happy to do something active. It wasn't much, but giving her that was all Victor could think to do for her at the moment.

Every time someone new came through the doors, Victor eagerly looked to see if it was Liza. He wasn't expecting her to be among the injured, but he did think she would be there helping them through the door. So far she hadn't appeared and he knew that meant she was running around town. Probably checking for people buried under debris.

A part of him didn't want to leave when his shift ended. But then he thought of Liza and decided a break was in order. Process of elimination brought him to the diner. She was there, of course, along with a few patrons taking advantage of the food. She caught his eyes and lit up, pushing her way through to greet him.

"Long day?" he guessed. 

"Nah, I'd say this is pretty standard stuff." She reached out to squeeze his hand. "You get used to it, being the best friend of Snow White and Prince Charming." 

"And I thought the Lollipop Guild was bad," he remarked. She thought he was making a joke; he would have to tell her that story later. Hopefully during their date in his lab. "Are you busy right now?" he wondered.

Liza pursed her lips, scanning the diner. "I can steal away for a while," she decided. Victor brightened and, hands linked, the two left the diner.

The town just finished repairing itself after the wraith attacks and now it was wrecked again. It could probably be easily resolved by magic, but that always came with a price. Better to not risk the quick fix biting them in the ass.

"How's your lab going?" Liza asked him after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"Just about done. This whole giant thing delayed me a little."

"You get used to that, too," she assured him. "Things will calm down once we stop Regina."

"I know what it's like to want desperately for your parent's approval," he mentioned, "and being willing to do what it took to get it. I don't think you should all be so focused on stopping her. It might just make things worse."

"Weren't you the one leading an angry mob to kill her after the curse broke?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"And I get the irony of that. But the point still stands. You and I know better than anyone what it's like to be seen as the monster." Liza knew from experience how quickly this town could turn on someone. Victor could see the memory flicker in her eyes.

"You're right," she agreed. "When I met my mother, I thought I finally found somewhere I belonged. She helped me control the wolf... but she also wanted me to be something I wasn't. You and me, we chose to be ourselves despite our parents. Regina probably feels like she doesn't have that choice." She let out a surprised breath, shaking her head. "I never expected to relate to Regina."

"Yeah, well..." Victor squeezed her hand affectionately. "We monsters have a different perspective." He paused their walk so she could focus on his words. "You and I have both done terrible things, and all we needed was someone who could see all of it and still accept us. To help us not feel alone." He hadn't realized he was drawing closer to her until she lifted her head up and their foreheads touched.

The way Liza looked at him made his heart race. He caught strands of her hair, carefully tucking them behind her ear. Victor tried to imagine the color of her eyes.

"Monster to monster," she murmured, drawing closer. Her mouth pressed against his with a hand sliding through his hair to keep him in place. Victor rested his hand on the small of her back as he returned the kiss.

Surprisingly, they were allowed the moment of happiness.


	6. Budding Relationship

After their kiss, Ruby and Victor had walked through the woods for a while talking. Eventually they turned back and Victor saw her to the door of the diner. Ruby could feel Granny watching from inside but that didn't stop Victor from giving Ruby another kiss before departing. Ruby watched him until he disappeared around the corner, then finally went in to face her grandmother.

The atmosphere of the diner told her that Granny wasn't the only one who noted Ruby leaving with the doctor and coming back with a smile on her lips. Ruby ignored all the stares and went back to grab an apron.

“So that was why you wanted the morning off.” Granny had followed her, of course. “I thought you were over all this when the curse broke.”

“I thought you'd be happy,” Ruby huffed, concentrating on knotting her apron. “I'm dating a doctor.” Saying it out loud made her heart flutter. 

“Is that what you're calling it? Ruby, I just want you to be smart. I know what that man's like--”

“Actually, you don't.” Ruby whirled on her grandmother. “Whatever you think about him was constructed by the curse. He's no more a skirt-chaser than I am a floozy.” Her words came out biting, but she didn't care. She and Victor were battling with the same misconceptions; she wouldn't let anyone judge him, and she sure as hell wasn't going to be judged.

She took in a breath to rein in her anger. “He makes me feel things I haven't felt since Peter,” she went on in a softer tone.

“I'm sorry.” Granny reached out to squeeze her hand. “I didn't realize.” Ruby squeezed back, then went back to work. She knew that Granny would just be the first to question Ruby's romantic choices.

Still, she still couldn't get over it: she was dating. She flirted with guys during the curse but never really went beyond that. And of course after the cures broke the first guy who asked her out was murdered to frame her. That effectively killed any interest she had in dating until she and Victor had their talk on the docks. But at least he seemed equally inexperienced.

It was all very new and exciting. Ruby told Granny that she hadn't felt this way since Peter, but the truth was this was very different from Peter. So much of her time with Peter was in secret: they were forced to sneak around and steal kisses because of Granny's strict watch. Ruby didn't have to hide with Victor, and he had kissed her in front of the diner where anyone could see. She loved that freedom and disregard for how anyone would see their budding relationship.

He just left a few minutes ago and already Ruby wanted to see him again. Was this what it was like? Luckily, she knew someone she could ask.

“You and David started really having feelings for each other at the troll bridge, right?” Ruby had caught up with her friend before springing the question on her. Still, Snow was taken aback by the question. “What was it about that moment that changed things?”

“I don't know.” Snow twisted her wedding ring around her finger, a nervous habit of Mary Margaret's she hadn't quite broken yet. “I guess it was the fact that we were willing to die for each other, and we did it without a second though.” She paused to scrutinize her friend. “Why do you ask?”

“Because you're Snow White and Prince Charming. You guys are basically the model for how love works.”

“Ruby...” Snow reached out to grasp the other woman's hands in hers. “Are you telling me that you're in love?”

“I don't know,” she confessed. “All I know is he makes me happy, and I can tell I make him happy.”

“That's great!” Snow looked like she was just barely containing her excitement. It was so infectious Ruby felt herself getting giddy again.

She thought of their talks, of how his hand felt in hers, his smile, the way he kissed her... “Victor's pretty great,” she agreed dreamily.

“Who's Victor?” But then it clicked and Snow's mouth dropped. “You mean Doctor Whale?”

“Frankenstein and the werewolf. Kind of fitting, don't you think?” She meant it as a rhetorical question, and Snow was too stunned to answer anyway. “I'm dating a cute guy that I really like, and I want to talk about it with my best friend. You think you can be okay with that?”

“I-- of course I'm okay with it. If you're happy, then I'm happy for you. So...” Snow took a breath, squeezing her friend's hand again. “Tell me all about it.”


	7. Laboratory

Most of the clothes in Victor's closet were collared shirts, jackets, coats, ties and slacks. It would've been perfectly acceptable to wear such things when Liza came over, but he rejected all of them. He would just feel like he was at work if he put on such an ensemble. Finally he settled on something and stood waiting in the driveway for Liza to arrive.

Her red convertible pulled up next to his car. She checked out his vehicle curiously before turning her attention on him. Her eyebrows shot up.

“Wow,” she breathed as she drew closer. “Just how many buttons are on that thing?”

“A lot,” he answered, chuckling. The way she was looking at him made his pulse quicken. Victor played with one of said buttons. “You like it?”

“You look good no matter what you wear,” Liza answered, shrugging. She ran her hands over his chest, slowly sliding them up to his shoulders so she could pull him down for a kiss. He was very glad he hadn't put his gloves on yet so he could feel her hair while he combed through it. Liza was the one to break away.

“Okay, enough stalling. Let me see your lab already.”

Victor complied by pushing the button for the garage door to open. It was nowhere near as good as his laboratory back in his home world, but it was a pretty decent one. One long table supported his beakers and test tubes. Chemicals were already stored in some of the tubes, waiting to be put under the Bunsen burner. Another desk was set to the side for his notes and technical drawings. His bookshelf housed only a few volumes for now; he intended to fill it with more, along with compilations of his notes. A plasma ball lamp was set up as well, currently off.

Liza took her time in walking the space. She paused when she got to the desk. A few sketchpads were lying there along with pencils and charcoal. “I didn't know you drew,” she noted. “May I have a look?” Victor didn't hesitate in giving her the go-ahead. Aside from his mother and Gerhardt, no one ever really showed much interest in his drawings before.

While she was busy looking through the drawings, Victor went to get them drinks. When he came back Liza still wasn't at the end of the sketchpad. She had made herself comfortable in the single chair that was in the lab; Victor made a mental note to get more chairs later. He set her drink on the desk, glancing over her shoulder to see which sketch she was on. It was the horse galloping. Victor could remember the day he sketched that, and his scribbled notes reflected his observations at the time on the animal's speed and power.

“These are amazing,” Liza declared. “If being a doctor hadn't worked out for you, at least you had a back-up as a talented artist.”

“Like Leonardo da Vinci?” Victor suggested, lip lifting in a smile.

“Actually... yeah. He was a scientist, with all his inventions. He grave-robbed too, didn't he?” Victor's smile grew a bit wider. Most people knew da Vinci for his art, but not many even thought of his inventions. “Pretty ahead of his time. I bet the two of you would've gotten along.”

“Maybe,” Victor agreed. He hadn't even heard of da Vinci until coming to this world, of course, and once Victor's memories were back he became a great admirer of the man's work. Liza carefully set down the sketchpad to take a swig of her drink.

“Iced tea?”

“I took a wild guess that you would like it,” Victor explained. “Is that okay?” Liza pursed her lips in playful thought, taking another sip of tea.

“Pretty good,” she decided. She slid from her chair and headed over to the refrigerator. Victor was quick to intercept her.

“That, ah, isn't really for food.”

The humor died from Liza's eyes. “What do you mean? What's in there?” Victor opened the door so she could see for herself. Liza perused the contents silently for a few minutes. She already knew so much of Victor's unpleasant history, but it was still nerve-racking to wait on her reaction to this. She finally turned away and closed the door.

“I was expecting more body parts.”

“There aren't that many dead in Storybrooke,” Victor admitted. He let out a breath he hadn't meant to hold. “I'm glad it doesn't bother you.”

“Why would it?” Liza countered. “I ate people, Victor. Most of them weren't on accident.”

“Speaking of which, what are your plans for the next Wolf's Time?” He hadn't meant to ask her this until they had a few more dates between them, but they had already opened up to each other so much. She hadn't flinched at his macabre interests; he wanted to prove that he wouldn't flinch, either.

“Probably just go out into the woods for the night.”

“I would like to join you.”

As expected, the statement stunned her. “You do remember what I told you happened to my last boyfriend during Wolf's Time, right?”

“That was before you had control. I know you won't hurt me, Liza.” He stepped closer, and though she looked unsure, she accepted his touch on her cheek. “I've shown you mine, now you show me yours. Monster to monster, right?” That got her to smile and she tilted her head to nuzzle against his hand.

“Right. But we're bringing the cloak just in case.”

Victor agreed to that, then pulled her closer for another kiss. He felt her fingers glide over the buttons on his lab coat as she responded. There really were far too many of them.


	8. Wolf's Time

For the first time, Ruby was meeting the days leading up to Wolf's Time with some measure of excitement. In the Enchanted Forest, there was always a layer of fear as people boarded up their homes and tried desperately to protect their livestock. As she grew older she hated Wolf's Time for creating that fear and forcing her to be confined in the house. Even after she learned what she was and gained control of it, Ruby was never really excited for Wolf's Time. There were too many other things going on; Wolf's Time usually just ended up being a means to an end, a way for her to use the wolf to fight and protect her friends.

Then came the first time in Storybrooke. It was a strange thing, knowing in one way it hadn't been that long since the last Wolf's Time, but also knowing it'd been years. Then there was the concern with how magic worked in this land. Ruby was so full of uncertainty and fear that it'd been easy to believe she'd been responsible for Billy's death.

But now, finally, she was looking forward to it. She had her control back and she would be spending the evening with Victor. Ruby was admittedly nervous about him seeing her as the wolf, but in a way she also looked forward to showing him. They trusted each other with their secrets and darker sides, and this was just one more layer of trust.

Ruby got off work early so she could head into the woods before it got dark. She wore the cloak and could feel eyes on her all the way to the woods. They were probably relieved to see her remove herself from the town; despite assurances from David and Snow, the majority of the townspeople didn't trust Ruby to control herself once she shifted into the wolf.

Victor hadn't arrived yet so Ruby settled down to sit and enjoy the quiet of the forest. Her heightened senses let her hear the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze, smell the sharpness of the soil and fungus growing on the nearby trees. She hated how sometimes her friends turned her into a bloodhound, but if she didn't have these senses, she wouldn't have been able to find Victor in time.

As if her thoughts summoned him, Victor was coming toward her location. Another useful thing about her senses: she sensed him coming long before she saw him. He smelled like chemicals, aftershave, a bit of cologne and not a single trace of alcohol. Ruby noted how he hadn't smelled like alcohol since she saved him from jumping. There were other familiar smells that puzzled her, but she turned her attention away from that and on him.

“Hey,” he greeted her. “Sorry if I kept you waiting.” Her pulse picked up as she observed him. He chose not to wear a suit again, this time going for a dark T-shirt and jeans. Somehow the look made him look sexier than his suit. Probably because it was so different from his normal attire. He had a bag slung over one shoulder.

“I wasn't waiting that long,” she assured him.

“I wanted to ask you something: is it okay if I sketch you while you're the wolf?”

“I...” She'd seen his talent and couldn't help feeling a little flattered that he would want to draw her. Would he make notes like he did with the horse? Somehow she doubted it was going to be purely analytical, but she also knew Victor wouldn't be able to completely avoid it. He _was_ a scientist, after all.

“Yeah,” she responded at last. “That's okay.” They exchanged smiles. “So what's in the bag?”

For answer, he set the bag down and started unpacking it. He brought a blanket, a thermos and two cups, containers with food and his sketchpad with pencils. “In case you agreed,” he told her when he pulled out the sketchpad.

“You brought food?”

“Yeah.” He smiled; Ruby loved that look on his face, and how much more often she was seeing it lately. “I thought you might be hungry when it's over. It's nowhere near as good as the cooking at Granny's, but--”

“Wait. You cooked?”

“Sure. It's just measuring ingredients and combining them, applying heat... like chemistry.” Ruby hadn't thought about it like that, but she was now looking forward to trying the food. She leaned into him, wanting to get a kiss in before Wolf's Time began.

His lips parted for her and she took the invitation, tasting him and winding her fingers through his hair. Ruby was hungry for him and this time his outfit didn't have as many buttons. One hand left his hair to glide down his chest. She heard him gasp and smiled, moving her lips from his mouth to his jaw and neck. Ruby breathed him in; she never noticed how appealing his smell was before.

“Liza?” His voice was a little strained. “I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe we should wait. At least until Wolf's Time is over.”

Ruby paused, quickly dropping her hands away when she realized one was pushing up his shirt. She never acted this way during Wolf's Time with Peter. Was it because she had control of the wolf now, or was it Victor specifically? Either way, he was right: they should wait.

She slipped away from him, taking off her cloak so she could shift. Running in wolf form for the rest of the night would be a good outlet for her energy. She was still highly aware of Victor, of course, and circled his way far more than necessary. She didn't do anything too aggressive, though, and she found herself human again just in time for sunrise.

“Morning,” Victor greeted her, flashing a smile. “Coffee?”

“Thanks.” With anyone else, Ruby would be surprised they were treating all this so normally. But it probably _was_ normal to Victor. She sipped her coffee and watched the growing light peek through the trees. Feeling Victor next to her, Ruby was feeling like this was all normal, too.

“You want to see the sketches I did?” Victor asked.

“Sure.” Ruby never got to see herself in wolf form and was curious on how Victor depicted her. He opened his sketchpad to show her. As expected, there was a sketch of the wolf mid-run with detailed notes. There were a few others: the wolf leaping at a bird, the wolf pausing with its ears flicked forward, the wolf stretched out on the ground... There was no denying the size and power of the creature, but something about the sketches gave off respect rather than fear.

“I'm getting to be a real fan of your work,” she commented, handing back the sketchpad.

“Glad someone is,” he responded with a touch of a smile. “Maybe you'll be a fan of my cooking, too, if you're hungry.”

“I could eat,” she assured him, and happily dug in.


	9. Love

In Storybrooke, there were only so many places one could go on dates. Back during the curse, Doctor Whale's idea of a date included taking the lady to dinner at Granny's. Not the greatest idea, since his eyes tended to wander to the pretty waitress. At least now he was dating the pretty waitress, though that made dinner at Granny's more _her_ treat than his.

Most evenings found Victor and Liza at the docks; they had mutually decided that it would be their spot without actually needing to discuss it. When they weren't spending time there, they were in the woods or Victor's lab or the diner. Yet while the venue options were slim, Victor and Liza were both creative in what to do while there. On their first date at The Rabbit Hole, they played a game to guess what song the DJ was playing. In the woods, they always found some flora or fauna of interest. The docks was their place to sit and talk, whether it was recounting the day or recollecting their pasts.

“I have a confession to make,” Liza announced one evening. Victor wasn't sure what was coming, but her smile assured him it wasn't something bad. “I watched your Singlebrooke dating profile.”

“Oh.” He let out a surprised laugh. He'd forgotten all about Singlebrooke.

“And I'm wondering when I'm going to be taken to your condo to 'listen to the very best of Sting'.”

It was true: Victor hadn't invited her over to his place yet. The closest he got was the lab, and that was more a work space. “We can go now if you want,” he suggested.

“Absolutely.”

When they arrived, Victor put on the promised music and took her on a short tour of the place. She looked through his music collection, pointing out when they had similar tastes. She seemed delighted whenever she found something new about him. He was expecting it, but Victor still couldn't help smiling when Liza found his violin case. 

“So you're a scientist, a doctor, an artist, _and_ a musician?”

“Don't forget 'wizard',” Victor added. Liza smiled but her focus remained on the violin case. “I haven't played in a long time,” he explained. “I only bought the violin because it reminded me of better days.” On impulse, he opened the case and pulled out the instrument.

He tucked it under his chin, the weight familiar even after all these years. Eyes wide, Liza moved to turn off Sting and set herself down on the couch to listen. Victor warmed up by playing a scale, pausing to adjust tuning. When he was ready he moved into a song. Muscle memory kicked in to help form the notes. Liza was only the third person he ever played for, and the first outside of his family. The significance of this was not lost on him.

Liza applauded when he was done. “How on earth did you stay single back in your own world?”

“People thought I was weird,” he shrugged as he put the instrument away again. “I tried talking to them about my work and the usual reaction was horror. The only ones who really understood were my brother and Igor, and look where that got them.”

“Hey.” Liza caught his hand, pulling her body closer to his. “You had people who saw who you were and loved you for it. Don't ever minimize that.” He responded with a squeeze of her hand. She was so close Victor couldn't resist pulling her even closer and pressing their lips together. 

“Thank you for being the first to see me in a long time,” he whispered against her mouth. “I love you.” He hadn't planned on saying that, but the words were out now. He was a little nervous about pulling back to see her reaction. The silence lasted only long enough for her exhale to tease his lips.

“I love you too, Victor.”

Those were the last fully-formed sentences either of them spoke for the rest of the night. The next morning, Victor still couldn't get over it. All his life he'd been known to defy what others claimed was possible but this-- being in love and someone loving him back-- felt like his most defiant feat yet. Somehow it happened and she was standing in his kitchen wearing one of his shirts.

“Good morning.” She greeted him with a kiss and a fresh cup of coffee.

“Good morning,” he returned. They had a few minutes before needing to start their day. It felt good to spend it together like this. Victor found himself already looking forward to future mornings.

Who knew that such a thing could happen for monsters such as them?


	10. Moving

Ruby sipped her tea as she flipped through the pages of the _Mirror_. When she came to the diner after her first night with Victor, she expected Granny to launch into a lecture or berate her on poor choices. Instead, the older woman showed her how to make the moon tea. Ruby wasn't sure if this was her grandmother's way of approving the couple or her simply accepting that it was happening. Either way, Ruby was grateful for the gesture.

Of course, she couldn't help but wonder how her grandmother would react if she knew Ruby was looking for a new place to live.

The two women had lived together Ruby's entire life, both in the Enchanted Forest and in their faked memories. There never seemed to be a reason for her to live on her own. Now there didn't seem like a reason to _not_ make that move. Storybrooke was relatively peaceful and Snow and David didn't need her as much as before. She had control of the wolf and though she was training to take over her grandmother's businesses, that didn't mean she wanted to _live_ in one of them. 

Having something separate, something that was just hers, was getting more appealing the more she thought of it. Of course it didn't hurt that a place of her own meant she and Victor could trade off sleeping over. Victor had been over to the place she shared with her grandmother, of course, but there was no chance in hell it would ever turn into an overnight visit.

She grinned thinking of Victor's encounter with her grandmother. The older woman was the one who greeted him at the door when he dropped by. With her crossbow. Ruby wanted to groan in embarrassment and catch Victor's eye to send him a silent apology. Victor stared at the weapon for a moment, seemingly unfazed by the intimidation.

“I could bring some wax and lubricant for that next time, if you want,” he offered. The suggestion surprised Granny so much she lowered the weapon. Victor took that as permission to come inside. If Ruby hadn't already loved him, the way he handled her grandmother definitely would've done the trick.

And he did deliver on the wax and lubricant, so maybe the moon tea really _was_ Granny's way of showing her approval.

Since Emma was the only one in town to have any actual experience in apartment shopping, Ruby enlisted her to help scope out the available spaces. Most of those spaces were abandoned when the residents remembered their pasts and reunited with family. Others had simply chosen to live elsewhere. When she asked, Victor told her he kept the condo because there wasn't enough space in his garage lab for anything else. Not that this stopped them from using what little space the lab offered.

“This one's not bad,” Emma remarked, walking the space of the first potential apartment. “Decent size, full kitchen...” Half listening, Ruby moved to open up all the windows. None of them gave her a very good view of the forest. In her heart that was an automatic rejection of the place, but in her head she knew she couldn't be that picky. “What furniture do you have?” Emma asked her.

“Uh...” Ruby tried to think about it and came up with a blank. “None. It's all Granny's.”

“Can you afford this? Buying the furniture and paying rent every month?”

Truthfully, Ruby hadn't factored new furniture into her budget. “Maybe Geppetto and August will give me a discount,” she suggested hopefully. “Or not,” she amended when she noted the look on Emma's face.

“No, you're right, they probably will. Hell, August might do it for free. He's been going overboard lately with the 'selfless, brave and true' thing.”

Ruby wisely stepped away from that conversation and focused them back on assessing apartments. Eventually she found one she liked. She could picture herself at the kitchen in the mornings and there was an alcove where Victor could sit and draw when he came over. It was empty but just signing the rental agreement gave her a good feeling. The place was officially _hers_.

Now to tell her grandmother. She was doing a closing shift at the diner and decided to bring it up as they were counting down the till. Victor dropped by before his own shift at the hospital. Their working schedules were lining up a lot more lately-- the benefit of being the ones in charge of writing up said schedules. Ruby wanted to tell him about her apartment, but Granny deserved to know first. Besides, she wanted him to see it when it was ready.

His visit did give her mood the needed boost to get her through the rest of the night. She was ready to face her grandmother.

“Ella and Thomas had me over to their new place,” she began. “It got me thinking that there are probably a lot of open apartments around, with everyone reuniting with their families.” 

“So did you go get one for yourself?”

“I...” The question caught her off guard. “What?”

“Ruby... _Liza_.” Granny hardly ever used her real name, signaling the seriousness of her words. “You've changed so much since those days before you knew you were the wolf. You've gotten stronger, more confident, you can control the wolf, and you have a strong network of friends. Not to mention a man who has the balls to stand against me and my crossbow. I never--” She paused to take off her glasses. “I know I've been strict with you and overprotective, but I never meant to make you feel like you can't live your own life. It's far past time I've accepted you've grown up. So if you want to get an apartment and live on your own, you should do it.”

Ruby swallowed down the lump in her throat. “I, ah, already did.”

“Of course you did,” Granny snorted. “Did you think I would forbid you if you mentioned it before signing the papers?”

“Kind of,” Ruby admitted.

“Oh, my girl...” Granny pulled the younger woman into her arms. “I'm so sorry.” Ruby could only squeeze back. The lump in her throat was back and tears pricked her eyes. When they parted, she noted her grandmother's eyes were a bit misty as well. “At least now I can have Geppetto over here when he and I need some private time.”

Ruby chuckled, wiping her eyes and getting back to work. But a moment later she turned back to her grandmother. “Wait. That _was_ a joke, right?”


	11. Home

He stood watching the dwarfs at work, glad for the shades protecting his eyes. While he'd grown used to it after living in Storybrooke for so long, it still baffled him how bright the sunlight could get in other worlds. He wouldn't mind a few more cloudy days or, better yet, thunder storms. 

Victor scanned the fields looking for a specific face. There weren't that many people he felt he could talk to in town. Most avoided him, which he admitted was fair since they didn't really know him apart from fake memories and what he revealed once the curse was lifted. Hell, most people still called him Doctor Whale. It grated him a little but he always told people to call them whatever made them more comfortable, and apparently Frankenstein was an uncomfortable name even among fairy tale characters.

“Victor! Hey!” Most fairy tale characters, anyway. David approached him, wiping the sweat off his brow. “Don't tell me you're going to work in the fields with us.”

“No,” he responded, “though gardening probably is a safer way for me to tinker with the boundaries of life and death. Unless I happen to create a breed of killer tomatoes.”

“But Bunnicula can take care of those,” David remarked. Victor let out an appreciative laugh.

“I'm guessing you got that name from Henry.”

“Guilty.” David flashed an embarrassed smile. “He was pretty surprised when he heard about you, and since the library opened up he's been reading as much horror as he can-- and as much as Emma will allow. He said you weren't in his book,” David added as an afterthought.

“Makes sense.” He could think of no way to segue into the reason he was here, so he just got straight to the point. “Listen, I'm here to talk about Ruby.” Her nickname felt weird on his tongue. 

“Good. I was hoping I wouldn't have to track you down. Ruby is like family to me and you... well, I like to think you and I are friends.”

“I like to think that, too,” Victor nodded. David was just as surprised as everyone else when Victor's true identity was revealed, but he got over it a lot faster. Liza told Victor how David described the Daniel incident in a very casual tone, like the dead rising and a man losing his arm were both perfectly ordinary. That and how he sought Victor out the night Greg crashed into town solidified David as someone who understood, a man who could stare down monsters and still reach the people inside.

“In fact,” Victor added as those thoughts drifted through his mind, “you're probably the best friend I have in Storybrooke. I'm not sure that's saying much, though, since I can count how many friends I have here on one hand.”

“I don't know,” David mused with a smile. “Being the best friend of Doctor Frankenstein sounds both a high honor and a little dangerous. I don't think anyone else here could handle it.” Victor chuckled again. He could see how David earned his famous nickname.

“So about Ruby,” Victor resumed. “Are there any holidays in your world I should know about? Maybe some kind of Christmas equivalent? And I need to know her birthday. I know I could just ask _her_ , but I want to surprise her.”

David raised an eyebrow at him. “You're thinking of celebrating Christmas with her?”

“I don't want my last Christmas to ruin future holidays,” Victor explained.

“That's a nice thought, Victor, but what about when the beans are ready?”

Slowly he turned his eyes toward the growing beanstalks. Victor knew that the giant brought a magical bean with him, and the whole purpose of this field was to grow that bean and harvest more of its kind. The beans were to be their way home. He knew all of this, and yet he hadn't considered what that meant for himself and Liza. In fact, he hadn't thought about going home at all since they started dating.

Because somehow _Storybrooke_ became his home.

But his brother was still waiting for him back at the estate. The last he remembered, Victor had locked his brother away with the vow that he would come back. What could have happened between then and now? It'd been well over thirty years. He couldn't abandon his brother, but he couldn't ask Liza to choose him over her home, either. 

“What would you do,” he finally asked, “if it was you and Mary Margaret in this situation?”

“We always find each other,” David replied. Not the most helpful answer, but he said it in the same way Victor and Liza would say “monster to monster”. That made the solution easy. 

He said goodbye to David and went to find Liza. She wasn't at the diner; her grandmother suggested checking the animal shelter. She'd warmed up to him a lot since he helped her with crossbow maintenance. Victor followed her instructions and wasn't surprised to find Liza playing with the dogs. He would've loved to stand and watch her but she was immediately alerted to his presence. They seemed to move toward each other at the same time, meeting somewhere in the middle and wrapping around each other.

“Do you want to go home with me?” he asked against her lips.

“Yes,” came the breathy reply. She pulled back, a smile curling on her mouth. “Do you want to come home with _me_?”

“Absolutely.” Victor caught a stray hair between his fingers and tucked it behind her ear. “So is that the plan? We'll take turns going to each other's homes?” Liza tilted her head up to meet his gaze and something in her eyes told him she understood what he was really asking.

“For now,” she agreed. “Until we find a place for both of us.”

Victor couldn't help but laugh. “Exactly what I was thinking.”


	12. Attack

Ruby had her head resting on Victor's shoulder, a hand on his chest to feel his steady breaths. It was wonderful to just lay in bed like this with their legs tangled together and the sheets haphazardly thrown on their bodies. Ruby slid her hand up Victor's side and along his arm, stopping at the scar that marked where his arm had been torn off. She traced the line with her finger first and then with her mouth. He heard his sigh of contentment and felt his fingers as they curled into her hair.

When the curse first broke, Ruby suffered from bouts of insomnia. Her heightened senses and energy made sleep evasive. It hadn't surprised her to learn that Victor also had insomnia, mostly because of his restless thoughts and schedule as a doctor. Their first few times sleeping together resulted in them keeping each other company while they waited out the hours before work. But soon they were experiencing actual sleep. One reason they kept their working schedules in sync was because they couldn't manage to fully relax long enough for sleep without the other present.

Ruby's heightened senses were still a problem, though. Like now, when she could hear someone walking toward the door. Reluctantly she pulled her mouth away from Victor's skin. “We have a visitor,” she told him moments before the knock.

“Ruby?” It was Emma's voice. Ruby wanted to ignore it and pretend she wasn't home, but then Victor's pager started buzzing. He rolled toward it and Ruby sighed, sliding out of bed and grabbing a shirt before heading to the door.

“What is it, Emma?”

“Uh...” Emma's eyebrow lifted and Ruby realized too late that it was _Victor's_ shirt she had thrown on. “Sorry if I'm interrupting, but this is important. Cora attacked the fields and it looks like all the beanstalks are destroyed.”

Ruby gripped the door frame for support. While admittedly a part of her had been reluctant to leave Storybrooke, it was still devastating to hear that they lost their guaranteed way back to the Enchanted Forest. Ruby took in a slow breath. “Okay. What do you need me to do?”

“See if you can track down Cora. Regina thinks she might've kept some of the beanstalk as a bargaining tool.”

“Oh.” Her spirits fell a little. Bloodhound duty again. “Sure. Just give me a minute to get dressed.” She closed the door and headed back to where she left Victor.

He was already dressing for work. He turned at her approach. “Hey. I heard, and it lines up with the page I got from the hospital. Anton and the dwarfs were injured in the attack.” He turned to her, tie still waiting to be knotted, and gave her a light kiss. “Never a dull moment around here.” Victor paused as his eyes traveled her body. “You going to keep that on?”

“I wish, but no. Your scent would just distract me.” She gave him another kiss before slipping away and finding her own clothes. And then they exchanged yet another kiss as they headed out the door.

Ruby couldn't help but wonder if David and Snow White felt this torn every time they needed to separate for a mission. “So.” Emma's voice broke through that thought. “You and Doctor Whale, huh? That seems to be going really well.”

“His name's Victor, and yeah. It is.”

“That's good.”

“What about you and Neal?” Ruby countered.

“It's... a little more complicated. I'm just glad Henry gets to spend time with him.”

The two fell silent as they drew closer to the beanstalk field. Sure enough, the area was devastated and the scent of burnt plants was strong in Ruby's nostrils. She carefully picked her way through the rows, scanning the footprints and examining the broken poles that once held the growing stalks. There was too much foot traffic to distinguish one print from another, but Ruby was hoping she would find a scrap of cloth caught on the poles to help her track Cora.

No doubt this attack was her retaliation for Regina being swayed back to the good side. It wasn't an easy fight to win but Victor and Ruby both stubbornly campaigned in her favor. The biggest plus side of having Regina on their side was the memory potion she brewed for Greg Mendel and the spell she crafted to protect the town from future unwanted visitors. She was just barely on their side, though, so they had to tread carefully in dealing with her mother.

“Nothing,” Ruby declared, making her way back over to Emma. “Cora didn't leave anything behind, and I need something of hers to help me track her. You think Regina has anything?”

“I can ask her. And I'll see if Neal can convince Hook to help us, too.”

“I'm going to check in with Victor.” They both whipped out their phones to start making calls. Ruby wasn't too surprised that Victor didn't answer right away; he was probably busy with the victims of Cora's attack. 

Meanwhile the two women headed over to Granny's Diner to discuss the next step with David and Snow White. All of this felt so familiar to Ruby. Sure they were in another land but it boiled down to the same thing: fighting for their lives against a dark force. Just a few hours ago she was cuddled up in bed with Victor. When would they get to enjoy that all the time?

“This is exactly what Cora wants,” Snow was saying. “For us to feel helpless and defeated. We all need to stay strong and keep fighting.”

“Okay, but _how_ do we fight?” Emma wondered. “We'd lose Regina forever if we kill her mother, no matter how evil Cora is.”

“Couldn't we just get her over the town line?” Granny suggested. “Then the spell would prevent her from coming back.”

“Yes,” Snow agreed, “but we don't know what crossing the line would do to Cora. Would she keep her magic? We can't unleash that on this world.”

“Unless we dampen her magic,” Emma suggested. “Some kind of magic inhibitor.”

“Victor might know how to make something like that,” Ruby noted. “I'll call him and ask.” She called the hospital but it just kept ringing. The hospital couldn't be _that_ busy, could it? Unless there was a reason no one was answering... Cold dread sank down into her stomach. She took off at a run, heedless of her friends calling after her.

The hospital looked undisturbed from the outside, but one step beyond the doors introduced her to chaos. None of them even considered Cora would attack the hospital. But Belle volunteered here and Cora _would_ go after her in an attempt to control Rumplestiltskin. Ruby weaved her way around the strewn chairs with rising panic. She grabbed the first nurse she could find.

“Where's Vic-- Doctor Whale?” His cursed name felt weird on her tongue, but his staff still insisted on using it.

“Room B.” The dread turned hard as stone inside her; that was a room reserved for patients. She managed to thank the nurse and headed into the room.

Victor was lying on the bed shirtless with bandages wrapped around his middle. He gave her a weak smile and a wave as she approached. Her hand shook as she rested it on his chest. Victor's hand slid out to rest over hers.

“Concussion, minor abrasions and bruises. I'll be fine.”

“You really need to stop getting injured in your own hospital,” she choked out. He laughed, wincing as the movement aggravated his injuries. “Seriously, Victor. You need to be careful.”

“Storybrooke is my home,” he argued. “And they're my people. I'm going to do all I can to protect them.” Ruby didn't know what to say, so she just squeezed his hand tighter. Victor tugged on her. “Get up here.”

She knew she should argue, but she didn't really want to. So she obediently climbed onto the bed and nestled her body next to his, taking comfort in his scent. This was how their day started. And somehow, in spite of everything, it was how they were ending it.

Ruby could live with that.


	13. Changed

There was a saying about how doctors were the worst patients, and Victor proved that saying to be correct. He only went through the required hours awake after his concussion because Liza kept him company the whole time. Once that was done, Victor was back on his feet doing what he could to get the hospital back in order. His bruises from Cora's attack were still healing but if any of the nurses objected, he merely fixed them with a stare until they left him alone.

“You're lucky all you got were bruises,” Liza had pointed out. Her fingers brushed across his bandages and he felt something wet touch his skin; she was crying. “What if it was worse? What if Cora--?”

“ _You_ put yourself in danger,” he reminded her. “It could've just as easily been you wrapped in bandages. I hate the very idea of it, but I would never stop you from fighting. You have to do the same for me.”

As he told Liza, this was his town and his people. Whatever evil Regina originally intended when casting the curse had twisted into a camaraderie. Victor knew that the memories were fake, but he still felt like he knew these people. He'd taken care of them and their children, had attended Miners' Day festivals with them, attended parties in their honor. After Emma arrived, the memories were real: delivering Ashley's daughter, helping David adjust post-coma, taking care of Katherine, fighting to save Henry's life... He cared about these people and he would do what he could to help, injuries be damned.

Besides, keeping himself busy helped him not dwell so much on what Liza was doing. He knew her to be a capable fighter, but every time he moved the wrong way his bruised body reminded him of the dangers she faced. The dangers they _all_ faced going up against a powerful witch like Cora. Not something he ever expected to be so invested in, yet here he was.

It was strange: in another life, his father had conscripted him as a medic in the army. The battles may have been fought with fireballs and giants, but Victor was still on the ground tending to those injured in the crossfire.

He made his way outside for some fresh air when he spotted a familiar figure. “Regina?” The woman turned at his voice and acknowledged him with a nod before going back to what she was doing. Victor recognized what she was doing and his suspicions were confirmed when the spell took effect. “Protection spell. Thank you.”

“It may not hold my mother off for long,” she warned him with a shrug, “but it's honestly long overdue. I hear I have you to thank for everyone believing me about Doctor Hopper.”

“And Ruby. We have some experience in people seeing us as monsters.”

A smile touched the woman's lips. “Yes, I suppose you do. Still, I'm grateful.”

“I owed you after everything that happened with Daniel.” He swallowed before going on. He wasn't sure how she would react but as she just said, this was long overdue. “I could have revived him the first time you asked. Instead, I chose to help turn you into the evil queen. I may never get a chance to help my brother, but at least I did what I could to help one of my creations.”

Regina studied him for a moment, her expression unreadable. Finally, she remarked, “You've changed, doctor.”

“We all have, Regina.” Comfortable silence fell between them. “I'm not going to lie and say I'm sorry for tricking you,” Victor told her. “I'm not even that sorry I brought Daniel back. But I _am_ sorry for what you had to do to him. I faced the same dilemma with my brother, and I couldn't go through with it.”

“I think... it needed to happen,” she answered slowly. “You and Jefferson both, in your mad ways, helped me finally let Daniel go. And you did live up to your claims of bringing him back, even if it took you thirty years.” She gave him a look of dark amusement. “Think of me as one less creation on your conscience.”

It wasn't exactly forgiveness, just as his wasn't exactly an apology, but it was the best and most honest thing they could give one another.


	14. Battle

Somehow in the midst of a destroyed beanstalk crop, a devastated hospital, and the constant worry over Cora's next move, life insisted on moving on. Little Alexandra was growing and her parents were frantically doing last-minute baby-proofing before she figured out how to crawl. Plants grew, birds hatched and before long another full moon was drawing near.

Back in the Enchanted Forest, they always used Wolf's Time to their advantage. Any force that came against them during the full moon would feel her teeth and claws. David and Snow hadn't discussed it with her yet, but she was sure they were counting on much the same this time around. They would need every advantage against Cora they could find, and the wolf was a _big_ advantage.

So why was she staring at her cloak like she really intended to use it, and keep the wolf at bay?

“I'm guessing we won't be able to do a night out,” Victor mused, pushing her hair aside to kiss the back of her neck. Ruby closed her eyes to enjoy his scent and closeness. Usually his scent relaxed her; this time it _excited_ her.

“No,” she managed, tilting her head hoping his mouth would take the invitation. “We haven't talked strategy yet, but I'm sure David and Snow will want a night attack against Cora. I'll need to be there as the wolf.”

“Too bad you can't eat her.” He pressed a few kisses on her throat. She knew he was worried about what could happen but loved that his words didn't go in that direction. Nor did his lips or hands, for that matter. 

It was the only way either of them were staying sane in all this: not thinking of how the other could be hurt or if it was the last time they would be together. Snow confessed to her how her and David's mantra of “I will always find you” was their own way of keeping sane. Ruby found herself agreeing with Victor: it really was too bad she couldn't just eat Cora.

Ruby intended on giving him a kiss and slipping off to meet with David and Snow. The moment she turned toward him she knew one kiss wouldn't be enough. She needed the brush of his tongue against hers, to kiss his healing bruises. She wanted to feel _human_ before she became the wolf. She could tell from Victor's responses that he understood. They needed each other. Monster to monster.

Later they rested with the cloak draped over them like a blanket. Ruby had the strangest thought that even without its magic, she would stay human as long as she was with Victor.

“Hey.” Victor kissed her forehead and she glanced up to meet his eyes. “Shouldn't you get going?”

Ruby reluctantly got dressed and headed out. Just as she suspected, the plan was for her to shift into the wolf and fight against Cora. The dwarfs and Anton wanted in on the battle as well after what happened with the beanstalks. Regina was to stay behind and keep protection spells up so the town wouldn't be damaged by whatever Cora did in fighting back.

Cora didn't look too concerned as she surveyed the fighters standing against her. “Is all of this really necessary? All I want is my daughter.”

“Then why did you try kidnapping Belle from the hospital?” Snow challenged. Her bow was gripped loosely in one hand but Ruby knew her friend could pull it up to fire in an instant.

“Well, dear,” Cora responded with a twist of her lips, “one must always have a backup plan. It's just too bad all those people got in my way.” Ruby bared her teeth and growled, fingers twitching to untie the cloak and let loose the wolf. She had to remind herself that Cora _wanted_ them to be angry, to lose control and get sloppy. Cora sensed the rising tension and her smile turned mocking as she lifted her hand casually to summon her magic.

Ruby turned to Snow and saw her friend give a subtle nod. She undid the tie, the cloak dropping to the ground. Skin erupted in fur, hands morphed into paws and her jaws stretched open to show her sharp teeth. Her four legs propelled her forward, her hind legs pushing her body off the ground in a great leap. Ruby temporarily forgot about keeping Cora alive; her wolf mind only knew that this was the one who hurt Victor. Cora's magic tossed her aside before her teeth could sink into flesh. Ruby hit the ground hard. Shaking, she struggled back to her feet, feeling one tremble uncontrollably under her weight.

She could see flashes of light as Cora fought back against the others. Ruby forced herself forward for another pounce. This time she managed to catch Cora by surprise and forced the woman to the ground. One large paw rested on Cora's back, claws digging in just deep enough. David and Snow approached, Snow with an arrow pointed at Cora. David moved forward and clasped the magic dampening cuffs around the woman's wrists.

Ruby allowed a moment to make sure Cora was subdued. Then she let the pain of her body take over, and passed out.


	15. Question

It turned out to be a broken leg. When Victor gave her the prognosis, he was worried Liza's heart would break, too. She loved to run and a leg would take weeks to heal. After a moment of silence, she asked, “Is anything else broken?” Victor assured her that her other injuries were minor. Liza's eyes sparkled at him then and she asked, “Will you check?” Victor made sure the door was locked before performing the very thorough examination. He had to admit it was a very clever and effective way of getting a clean bill of health.

Honestly, Victor was probably more upset by the wounds than Liza. Then again, the same was true when he was the one injured. It amazed him that he could be falling even more in love with this woman at every opportunity, yet his heart proved it possible each time. 

Victor was pleased to see that Liza at least kept herself behind the counter while doing her shifts at the diner. It was more crowded than usual-- townspeople taking advantage of the lull in magical battles.

“Hi,” she greeted him, leaning over for a kiss. “On your lunch break?”

“I was hoping you could join me, but the diner looks pretty busy.”

“Someone else can man the register for a while,” Liza assured him. “Granny!” she shouted toward the back. “I'm going on a break!” She waited for her grandmother to shout an acknowledgment, then grabbed her crutches and hobbled her way toward Victor, everyone scooting out of the way to make room for her.

Interesting. A few months ago these same people were wary of her and Victor both. Now that they both had been injured in defending the town, everyone was accepting and even a little admiring. His staff even started calling him Frankenstein. He never really cared what people thought of him, but he liked the acknowledgment all the same.

“So Cora's defeated. The cuffs I made are keeping her from using her magic,” Victor summarized once they were both outside the diner. 

“Yeah. That was actually really handy.” Liza flashed him a proud smile. “David and Snow are going to call a meeting to decide what to do with Cora. Hook apparently has an idea that he claims will make everybody happy.”

“And I'm sure as a pirate, he has a lot of experience with being fair to everyone,” Victor remarked dryly. Liza let out a snort of amusement. “What about getting back to our original lands?”

“I don't know.” Liza shifted on her crutches and Victor pulled out a chair so she could sit. He sat down in a chair next to her. “The more we fight for Storybrooke, the harder it is to think of leaving it.”

“I know what you mean. Logically I know that it came from the curse, but I still feel like I've lived here my whole life. And we all know each other-- who we really are.” Victor took Liza's hand in his. “You know I wanted to bring back my mother, and I still want to do right by my brother. A family that I lost and tried to revive. But lately...” His fingers gripped hers tighter as he took in a nervous breath. “I'm known as a creator, and lately I've been thinking a lot about wanting to create a new family.”

Liza's fingers twitched and gripped his back just as tightly. From the way her breath caught, Victor knew she was anticipating where this was going. But just to eliminate any guesswork, he slid off his chair and got down on one knee.

“Will you marry me?”

“Yes.” The warmth of her smile spread its way through his whole body. Victor grinned back, shifting off his knee so he could kiss her. “Yes,” Liza repeated, cupping his face in her hands as they kissed. He carefully lifted her back on her feet and held her close.

For one moment the two of them were cocooned in their private happiness. Then the rest of the town reminded them of its presence by applause and cheers from those in the diner. Victor had no idea how long they'd been watching but they were all unashamedly turned toward the couple and Granny was standing in the open doorway. Victor and Liza spared their audience a smile before turning back toward each other.

“I have a ring,” Victor mentioned. He dug in his pocket and pulled out the box. The ring was twisted into an infinity symbol that sparkled with rubies and diamonds. It fit perfectly onto Liza's finger.

Liza slid her hands up around his neck and Victor bent his head down so their foreheads touched. “I love you,” she whispered. 

Victor had been in the room when Emma's kiss broke the curse; he knew that love was powerful. But there was a big difference between knowing and feeling, and he didn't truly feel that power until Liza. “I love you, too.”

And then, they said it together: “Monster to monster.”


	16. Solution

She anticipated a huge reaction when she told Snow and Ella about her engagement. Both her friends gushed over the ring and immediately demanded the story of the proposal. They couldn't stop hugging her and Ruby felt a few tears. She _wanted_ her friends to be happy for her, of course, but a part of her hadn't expected such acceptance. She couldn't help wondering if Victor was receiving an equally excited response from David.

Any discussion about plans for the wedding would have to wait, though. Not for Ruby's leg to heal-- neither she nor Victor cared if she limped down the aisle in a cast-- but because the matter of Cora needed to be settled. 

So they all gathered together to discuss the matter in town hall. This location was chosen instead of Granny's because so many more people were involved. Ruby remembered when the royal couple and their advisers could all fit around a single table. How much things had changed since then. David and Snow were still the understood leaders, but Emma had proved herself a leader as well and while she and Neal weren't together, they still gave a united front. All the dwarfs were in attendance, now with Anton added to their ranks. Geppetto, Jiminy and Pinocchio were there as well, though of course now Pinocchio was an adult and going by August and Jiminy was back to being human. It wasn't just Blue but all of the fairies that arrived. Belle was included as well and even Sidney Glass was there, though he was happy to sit quietly in the back taking notes.

Then the newest members of the group: Regina Mills and Victor Frankenstein. Since this meeting was about the fate of her mother, having Regina weigh in was expected. No one expected to see Doctor Frankenstein come through the door but no one objected. Especially after both David and Ruby insisted he be there. 

“Since no one else is willing to say it,” Regina began, “I will. As long as my mother is in this land, she'll be an influence on me. The only solution seems to be moving her to another land, but even if we had the means, where could she go? I sent her to Wonderland and she became the Queen of Hearts; in the Enchanted Forest she posed as Sir Lancelot and controlled the people there. No matter what we do, she would gain power and control.”

“Aye, but that's where my solution comes in.” Hook rose to his feet so all could focus on him.

“Right,” Neal scoffed. “The idea where everyone goes away happy. I can't wait to hear this.”

“There is a land where she could live in exile, and I promise it is one she would not come to rule.” Hook glanced over to Neal. “I believe you may know the one I speak of, Baelfire.” There was a moment of silence, then Neal groaned and ran his hand over his face.

“You can't seriously be suggesting we send her to Neverland.”

“It's the perfect solution. The Lost Boys will have need of a villain with me gone. Peter Pan is not one to give up power; there is no chance of Cora gaining control. And I speak from experience when I say that Neverland is not so easily escaped. You have an ally there,” Hook continued, nodding to the fairies. “Tinkerbell. She has an alliance of sorts with Pan and will help them keep Cora in check.”

“Okay,” David sighed, “but there's still the problem of us sending her there. With the beans and Jefferson's hat destroyed, there's no way to cross realms.”

“I know of a way.” This time all eyes turned to Victor. “It may just need a bit of magical adjustment to focus on the land you want.”

“We'll bite,” Emma said slowly. “What are you talking about?”

“A tornado.” Ruby had to bite back the smile at the stunned looks on everyone's faces. “I've only seen them work when transporting people to Oz, but I'm sure you magical types can figure out how to make it go to other lands.”

Ruby could hear the others ask Victor questions but it was getting difficult for her to focus on them. She was tired and the seats in the town hall weren't very comfortable. And it was warm in the hall with so many bodies. Ruby closed her eyes and tried to shift into a better position with her cumbersome cast.

“Liza?” Her eyes flickered open again to see Victor's concerned face. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah, just a little tired.”

“How about I drive you home? I think they can sort this without us.”

Ruby conceded to that and hobbled out with Victor beside her. She didn't know what was wrong with her lately. It was like her body was still recovering from that fight with Cora. She couldn't wait to be rid of the cast and run again.

“Good news is that once Cora is gone, we can get married,” Ruby pointed out. “I'll be the bride of Frankenstein.” Saying it out loud gave her a giddy feeling.

“That's a good movie, but please don't wear your hair like that.” She chuckled, leaning into him and giving him a kiss.

She rested her head on the window as he drove her back to the condo. They were still trading off between his condo and her apartment, but at the condo they had a slightly greater chance of not being bothered. In his spare time, Victor was hunting down houses for when they were married. _When they were married._ It was still such an incredible thought. It certainly wasn't the familiar ending for either of their stories.

Hoping that all she needed was a power nap, Ruby hobbled her way to the bed. Victor surprisingly climbed in with her. “You don't have to stay with me,” she told him.

He shrugged, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. It was becoming one of her favorite little gestures of affection from him. The way he looked at her made her forget about her cast and how exhausted she felt moments ago. “I don't want to be anywhere else.”


	17. Storm

Victor was known as a mad scientist, and never had he felt more in tune with that moniker than now as he worked on the device that would create their world-crossing tornado. For himself and Dorothy, being swept away happened by chance. None of the people in Storybrooke wanted to wait around for that. Besides, Victor already proved that science and magic combined could bend the rules of both, and that was what they needed to take Cora to Neverland.

“The problem,” he explained as he worked, “isn't the storm, but the transportation. I was in a hot air balloon and Dorothy was in her house. We need some kind of vessel that can transport Cora through the tornado. I'm honestly not sure what will happen without one.”

“So it can be any kind of vessel?” Emma wondered. “Like a car?”

“Or a ship,” Hook spoke up. “Use the _Jolly Roger_. It has sailed Neverland's seas for a long time. That can only help your storm reach that land.”

“Seriously?” Emma gave him an incredulous look. “You'd give up your ship? You do realize that means you're basically marooning yourself in this land, right?”

“Aye, Swan, I do. But any good sailor can tell which way the winds are blowing, and these are quite literally against Cora. Besides,” he added with a touch of a smile, “my first mate Smee is in this land, and you lot may have need of a pirate yet.”

“We're a regular land of misfit characters,” Victor agreed with an amused snort.

While objectively using the _Jolly Roger_ was a good idea, Victor hated that this meant they were using the docks as the place to set up the tornado. He would try to make the storm as isolated as possible but there would still be some damage. All the other boat owners were moving their vessels as far away as possible and businesses that were close were boarding up their windows in case of flying debris.

Magic and science always came at a price. Victor would have to destroy his and Liza's spot to get Cora out of Storybrooke.

Liza was quiet when he told her of this latest development. After a long moment, she reached over and grabbed her crutches. “Then we'd better go enjoy it while it's here.”

The two made it there and sat on the edge just as they did that first night. It was only a few months ago, yet so much had changed. He was engaged to a beautiful, fierce and brave woman; the people of the town accepted him and were even welcoming his scientific knowledge and defiance of limitations. 

Victor felt Liza's head on his shoulder and slid his arm around her waist to pull her closer. He knew that her intervening in his suicide attempt was a matter of circumstance: she was the only one in town able to track him, and the only one with speed enough to reach him in time. But even if there had been someone else to stop him that night, he doubted anyone else could have understood him enough to give him hope. And he knew that he did the same for Liza.

“I wish we could go in the water,” he sighed. They did that during one of their dates. It'd been his idea, turning something that he intended for death into life. Making love under the docks would be a perfect way to use them one last time. The look in Liza's eyes told him she was thinking the same thing.

“It could be the way we christen the new dock,” she suggested, her eyes sparkling.

“Just when I thought I couldn't love you more.” Victor pressed a soft kiss on her mouth. “You go and say something like that.” Her lips moved in a smile against his, returning the pressure of his kiss as her fingers brushed through his hair.

They sat together exchanging kisses for a few more minutes before getting up and heading back. With Victor working on his storm machine, they'd been staying at the lab more often. August offered them the old trailer he'd stayed in when the curse first broke so they wouldn't have to sleep on the lab floor. Gradually their stuff started making its way over and Victor often looked at all the open space and imagined possibilities.

The day Victor finished his storm machine, the entire town showed up to watch Cora get blown out of town. Cora was already secured on the _Jolly Roger_ with a note from Hook. In so many words, it explained to Pan that the cuffs kept Cora's magic at bay. It would then be up to him and the Lost Boys whether they wanted the extra challenge in their games. The fairies, Emma and Regina all assured Victor they pooled their magic to be sure the tornado would take Cora to the correct land. They even did it at night so the Neverland star would be present.

Victor made sure he cold remotely activate the storm, but he still had to be closer than was comfortable. He sensed Liza shifting restlessly on her crutches. He glanced back at her, gave a nod, then activated the device. Victor spared a moment to make sure the winds were twisting themselves into a funnel before he ran. He could hear it howling behind him, tearing into the planks of the dock. He and Liza didn't stop until they made it to where the others were waiting. Shaken, he leaned against the nearest building to collect himself.

He thought his ears were confused from the storm, but then he saw it: the townspeople were applauding him. “You did it, Victor,” David praised him, clapping his hand on the doctor's shoulder. “Your tornado pulled the _Jolly Roger_ up, and then they both disappeared. Thank you for saving our town.”

Victor didn't know what to say. The people had seen him differently since he was injured in defending the hospital, but this was more. This was him doing what he did best-- bending the natural law to his will-- and people _celebrating_ it. 

“I _am_ pretty wonderful,” he agreed.


	18. Vows

Ruby couldn't stop grinning at herself in the mirror. She had slept over at Snow and David's place, since her friends insisted on upholding the tradition of the bride and groom not seeing each other the day before the wedding. She wasn't aware of the bride not seeing _herself_ , but Ella and Snow insisted she keep her eyes closed while they worked on her hair and makeup. Ruby had to admit the results were breathtaking. Then again, both of her best friends were already married-- had in fact married their husbands _twice_ \-- so they had the preparations down to a science.

Her dark hair was delicately curled with the red extensions she used to wear making a reappearance. Her dress was accented in red as well. It was her signature look and the only color Victor could see, so even though she honored the look of a white wedding dress, she made sure to sew in touches of red and even had red dusting her lace veil.

Emma helped her make sure she had covered the four things: something old, new, borrowed and blue. The “something old” was her red hair extensions; “new” was the wedding dress-- a cheat, but it worked; “borrowed” was a pair of earrings from Snow, and “blue” was the garter she wore to be thrown at the single men.

“Liza.” She turned at her grandmother's voice. The older woman's eyes were misted over as she gazed at her granddaughter. “You look absolutely beautiful.”

“Thank you, Granny.” The two hugged, Ruby holding on for a long time before letting the embrace end. She could feel a few tears pricking her eyes and carefully dabbed them away.

Ruby took a moment to appreciate that this was really happening. She and Victor were about to stand before family and friends and declare a commitment to one another. “Okay,” she said out loud to her waiting friends. “Let's do this.”

Victor stayed with Geppetto and August the night before the wedding. The two of them were on their way to being family with Geppetto's relationship to Liza's grandmother, and Victor and August actually spent a lot of the evening pestering Geppetto on when _he_ was getting married. The old man was relieved when David arrived with the tuxedos. 

The other men in the wedding party would wear modern-day tuxedos, but Victor had customized his to resemble the style worn in his world. A little piece of his old life here in the new. Instead of flowers, he and his groomsmen were wearing red glass wolves held in place by a lightning bolt-shaped pin. He'd sketched a picture of Gerhardt, wanting to feel like his brother was at least there in spirit, that he kept tucked in his breast pocket.

Victor glanced over at the men who would stand beside him. He felt incredibly lucky to know these men and have them call him their friend. “Right.” He took in a steadying breath. “I'm ready.”

An open section of the forest was chosen for the ceremony. The dwarfs were in attendance along with members of the hospital staff and workers at the diner. Belle sat with Ella's young daughter, and Regina sat with Henry. It was as small an attendance as Victor and Liza could manage with so many people wanting to see Frankenstein and the werewolf get married. 

Victor escorted the Blue Fairy, who would be residing over the wedding. Snow White and her husband were matron of honor and best man, respectively, and followed close on his heels. Then came Ella with Neal and Emma with August. Victor waited for everyone to settle before giving a nod to Henry. The boy got up from his seat and turned on the sound system. To the surprise of everyone, what came out wasn't the traditional wedding march but an upbeat tune from the 1980s. Victor and Liza had discussed it and both agreed that they wanted to embrace that part of their history, reclaiming the curse and changing it to something good.

After all, the curse was what brought them together.

Liza appeared through the trees and Victor felt like time had frozen again. His mind flashed back to the first time he saw her. It must have been the very first day of the curse. He walked into Granny's Diner, as his cursed mind assured him he always did, and sat at the booth. Ruby came out from the back carrying trays of food. His eyes drew to her immediately, moving from the red hair extensions to the red skirt and even the red nail polish. He drank her in, this wonderful splash of color in his otherwise gray vision.

Victor drank her in now, fighting the temptation to move from his spot. She was wearing the hair extensions again and had hints of red woven through her wedding dress. It didn't matter that one leg was in a cast and she was using a crutch to make her way down the aisle. The smile on her face and the look in her eyes was all Victor noted.

Of course Ruby had noticed the handsome doctor that came into her grandmother's diner every day. She had, on multiple occasions, made it a point for him to notice _her_ by giving him a nice view of her ass or cleavage while cleaning tables. She thought the way he tried to help her when she wanted to leave town was sweet and more awkward than she expected from him. He was _different_ and she could never get a handle on how or why until the curse broke.

She limped toward him and would've left her grandmother behind if the woman hadn't picked up the pace to keep up. Victor wavered on his feet and Ruby grinned. They would run to each other if they could. Ruby managed to tear her eyes away from Victor long enough to hug her grandmother. Then they settled back on him, their hands clasping and fingers twining together.

“I hardly need to tell you all why we are here,” Blue began, smiling at the wedding guests. “In a small town like ours, it's impossible to miss when two people find each other and fall in love. That is exactly what Liza Lucas and Victor Frankenstein have done. They stand before you all now to declare that love and commit to each other in marriage. I understand that they have personalized vows. Doctor?”

“Simply put, you saved my life, Liza. I was ready to give up and you helped me see I could still do good, that I didn't have to be burdened by the past. You saw me in a way no one had in years, that I myself had stopped seeing. You understand me like no one else ever could. You're my friend, my partner, my lover and my family. Whatever happens next, I want to do it with you. Monster to monster.”

“I was lucky to have people like Snow and David who knew what I was, but even with that acceptance, I felt like I was apart from them. You were the first person who really understood what that felt like. I've watched my friends find love, but never really believed I would have it for myself. Then you had to go defy everything, like you always do. You are my friend, my partner, my lover and my family. I can't wait to go on adventures with you. Monster to monster.”

They exchanged rings next. Victor's was rose gold and Liza's was silver. Blue finally declared them husband and wife, and the two sealed it with a kiss.

Doctor and Misses Frankenstein. Victor told her she didn't have to take his name, that he understood if she wanted to stay “Lucas”. But Ruby had assured him she was proud to be a Frankenstein. Their guests were applauding but the new couple only focused on each other. Victor leaned in like he wanted another kiss.

“How fast can you go with that leg?” Ruby raised a questioning eyebrow and he explained: “I'm wondering if we can make a run for it and start our honeymoon early.”

Ruby laughed, slapping him on the arm. “There's no way we'd get away with that. Besides, my grandmother baked the wedding cake. Do you really want to make her mad by not eating it?”

Victor, wisely, did not, so they went on to the reception. Everyone stayed in their wedding apparel long enough for pictures and for Victor to do a few sketches, then they all dressed down to something more comfortable. As they sat in Granny's Diner eating and laughing, now and then the newlyweds would catch each other's eyes and exchange overwhelmed but happy looks. All of these people were here to share in their happiness, a happiness neither of them thought was possible.

David stood up to deliver the best man speech. “I think I can speak for all of us when I say that today shows how powerful love truly is. It crossed realms and helped these two find one another. My wife and I have known Ruby for a long time and we can both say that we've never seen her as happy as after she started dating Victor. I admit that Victor and I didn't have the greatest first impressions of each other after the curse broke, but you can see how time and getting to know each other has changed that. I was honored when he asked me to stand as his best man.”

“Victor... You and I both lost our blood family in our own realms. Our father, our mother, our brother. But being in this world has given us all the opportunity to form new friendships and bonds that we never thought possible. Ruby, you've always been a loyal friend to me and Snow; you're family to us. You encouraged us and stood by us, and we are both so happy that you've found love. You were my doctor, Victor, and you've grown to be my friend. Today, I see you as my brother.”

Victor swallowed hard, squeezing Liza's hand tightly as the wedding guests applauded David's speech. He turned and saw that Liza's eyes were misted over in tears. They weren't seen as monsters anymore; they were family. 


	19. Less Careful

_Several Weeks Later..._

Though she tried to hold it back, a groan escaped Ruby's lips. Victor's fingers felt so damn good. She vaguely wondered if it was his training as a doctor that helped him be so skilled with his hands-- it _definitely_ had to help him know exactly where to touch her to give her the most pleasure. It was all Ruby could do to stay still and let him work at his own pace. 

Her eyelids flickered fully open and she caught his gaze. His lips curled into a smile, a flash darting across his eyes like lightning as his fingers pressed against her. Ruby moaned again and let her eyes fall shut. She knew it was wrong to think so, but she was glad people in the past were put off by Victor's oddities. She wanted to be the only one who benefited from his amazing foot massages.

She needed them now that her leg was finally free of its cast. Ruby was still going through physical therapy but she was looking forward to when her leg was strong enough to let her run again. Lucky for her, she had a doctor for a husband, though that didn't mean Victor was going easy on guiding her through her exercises. Ruby loved that he refused to coddle her, and any tender care he gave her was decidedly _not_ the professional sort.

The reconstruction of the docks was just about finished as well. Perfect timing. Ruby made sure to get constant updates from August on its progress so she and Victor could be the first to enjoy when it was finished.

In the meantime, the two contented themselves with getting back to work and enjoying peace for a change. Ruby applied herself to learning about the Bed and Breakfast, since she knew the diner's inner workings by now. It amused her when Ella was the one walking her through some of the procedures. Alexandra helpfully pointed at things and echoed her mother's words every now and then.

“You're very smart, Alex,” Ruby praised the girl.

“Tell me about it,” Ella agreed proudly. “I know you two are still riding the newlywed high, but have you and Victor talked about children?”

“We--” Ruby's smile wavered. “No, we haven't.” She hesitated, wanting to confess that for a moment after the battle with Cora, she thought she was pregnant... But since that turned out to be wrong and she never discussed the moment with Victor, it felt wrong to disclose it now.

Of course Ruby was proof that werewolves could become pregnant and bear children, but she wasn't sure if she was personally able. Or if Victor was. And if they both could, would he want them? There was a high chance their child would inherit lycanthropy.

“If it helps,” Ella mentioned, breaking through her friend's thoughts, “I think you would make an amazing mother.”

“It helps,” Ruby assured her, subconsciously placing her hand over her abdomen. She took a breath, making up her mind: she would talk to Victor when the docks were ready. She couldn't imagine having this conversation anywhere else.

They made an evening of it, with a blanket, some food and wine. They talked about their respective days at work, as always, and their plans for the house once it was ready. When the conversation turned to plans for the full moon, Ruby saw her opening. She had to stay human while her leg was mending, but now that she was out of the cast she could theoretically shift. Except....

“I might stay human again.”

“Really? Your leg isn't strong enough for running, but it should be okay for you to shift.”

“I'm not worried about the leg.” Ruby gazed out over the water as she worked through the best way to phrase this. “I'm just not sure what shifting into a wolf would do if I... if I was pregnant.” She felt Victor stiffen beside her and she dared to turn her head. His eyes had widened and he was staring at her in wonder, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed.

“Are you?”

“No.” His expression flickered almost too quickly for her to notice, but she did: she saw his disappointment. “I thought I was,” she amended, “but no. I'm not sure if I even can. We're pretty active and we're not always careful.”

“True,” Victor agreed with a little smile. “We can find out for sure and in the meantime...” He paused as that mischievous lightning flashed through his eyes again. “We can be even less careful.”

Ruby couldn't help laughing. “So you want to try? You know it's possible our child will be a werewolf like me.”

“And they'll have an amazing mother to help them,” Victor answered, kissing her lovingly on the forehead. “Liza, when I proposed I told you that I wanted to create a family with you. Since ours already has a shepherd-king, a reanimated corpse and a former puppet, I think we can handle another werewolf.” Victor rested his hand over her stomach and Ruby squeezed it. She should've known better than to think Victor wouldn't take to this idea. “I don't know if I'll be a good father,” he admitted, “but I'll do my best.”

“In that case, this child will have an amazing father.” She kissed him, and it didn't take long for the kiss to deepen. “Now,” Ruby breathed against his mouth, “you were saying something about being less careful...?”


	20. Negative

Victor could immediately tell that the people of the Enchanted Forest understood little about science and medicine. This impression was verified in the cursed memories Regina gave him. Not knowing what a medical doctor would need to know, she simply gave him enough knowledge to cover just about everything. Of course he mostly ended up babysitting the comatose David Nolan, but Regina's foresight came in handy when she adopted Henry, or when she needed Victor to fake DNA reports on that heart Ruby found, or when Ashley finally gave birth to her child, or Katherine was found dehydrated and weak after whatever Gold did to her on Regina's behalf.

It came in handy now as he ran fertility tests for himself and Liza. Theoretically any of the nurses could have done this, but Victor couldn't bring himself to trust them with this. 

The construction of their house was coming along nicely. August glanced up from his work and gave Victor a little wave. Now there was the embodiment of life from impossibility: a puppet carved from wood, made animate and eventually earned humanity. Seeing him made Victor feel a little more optimistic. After all, if August could live against all odds, then surely Victor and Liza could have a child.

“It'll be maybe another week,” August told him, “and then you and Ruby can move in.”

“I'll be looking forward to it.”

So far the house had all the usual necessities: library, living room, bedroom, kitchen and an optimistic spare room. Victor would've loved to add a special place for Liza, since he had his laboratory, but being close to the woods was enough for her. Victor couldn't wait until the house was finished; he could already easily picture himself and Liza in the kitchen, himself in a nook drawing, Liza on her daily jog, her wolf form prowling the property...

It didn't seem possible that he ever felt despair so crushing he had raced to the docks hoping it would drag him down and drown him. Mostly that darkness was gone, but he could sometimes feel echoes of it. Like when he thought of all the possible things that could go wrong with a pregnancy. 

Victor left August to work, ducking into his laboratory. The certainties of chemical formulas and reactions calmed him.

Ruby tried not to let disappointment sink in too much as she stared at the negative results of her latest pregnancy test. She tried reminding herself that they hadn't been trying that long... Still, it was hard to take comfort there when her two best friends became pregnant so quickly after getting married.

It didn't help that both Snow and Ella were so enthusiastic about the idea. She knew they were just being supportive, but it only made seeing those negative results worse.

“Ruby?” She froze, turning to face Snow. Her friend must have read something in her expression; she reached to embrace Ruby. “It'll take time. Be patient.”

“Easy for you to say.”

“Not really.” Snow's smile turned a little sad. “I never told you this, but King George cursed me so I couldn't bear children. Eventually that curse was broken, but for a while, I thought I would never have children with David. I lost hope.”

“I have to say,” Ruby remarked, “hearing that you, of all people, lost hope _is_ a little comforting.” Snow gave her a playful shove. 

Ruby flashed a smile, but when she was alone, it faded. The negative result floated back in her mind's eye and she found herself running to Victor. He helped her through her dark moments just as often as she helped through his.

He was in his lab, of course, and there was a flicker of concern on his face that grew stronger when Ruby wrapped around him. “I took a pregnancy test,” she confessed, “and it was negative.”

“Liza...” Victor pressed a kiss to his wife's forehead. It hurt his heart knowing she only took the test because she thought it might be positive. “I'm sorry.” There was something in his voice that made it seem like he held himself personally responsible. Although medically they were both perfectly capable of having a child, those dark thoughts persisted.

Victor couldn't help feeling like it would be the height of irony for him to be unable to create this life; Ruby was sure her nature as a werewolf was preventing her from conceiving. And, of course, they both felt they already gained much more happiness than they ever deserved: friendships, people who accepted them and called them family, love...

Victor's lips moved down to Liza's cheek, her throat, and he nuzzled against her. His senses weren't as strong as a werewolf's, but he still felt more centered feeling her heartbeat and breathing in her scent. “Don't take the tests for a while,” he whispered in her ear.

“Really?” She stared at him in disbelief. “You, a scientist, are telling me to not seek answers. It's going to bother you, not knowing.”

“True,” he agreed. His hand rubbed the small of her back and she relaxed into him. “But I never saw you coming, and look how well that turned out. I think not knowing may be the best thing for us in this situation.”

“Keep life interesting?” she suggested with a smile. He returned her smile, brushing her lips in a kiss.

“Always.”


	21. Gifts

Ruby was snuggled contently with Victor on the floor of their house, watching sleepily as fire crackled. It didn't take long for them to fill the house once it was ready, yet tonight they had decided to ignore the furniture and cuddle up on the rug. It was one of those things Ruby always read about in romance novels and had wanted to try for herself. The floor wasn't exactly comfortable even with the rug, but she did like how the fire's warmth felt on her skin. Almost as good as Victor's body heat.

She felt his lips on her neck and smiled, pushing her hair aside to give him more skin. Ruby hoped she would never get over how giddy his touch made her feel, or how the look in his eyes made her heart skip. Just as she hoped she would be able to keep making his eyes light up and his breath to catch in his lungs. It was still a struggle to tear away from each other for work, though lately she had a feeling that was much a reluctance to face the cold as it was to leave each other's side.

They were going to spend their first Christmas together. It wasn't really a holiday they celebrated in the Enchanted Forest, but it felt important to do so now. Not just because it was their first major holiday as a couple, but because of Victor's past experiences during the holidays. She knew it was going to be hard on him because of his brother. The snow brought up memories for her, too, of when she first learned she was a werewolf and what happened to Peter...

This season was going to be better for both of them.

Out in the town, a few people had gotten into the holiday spirit and decorated. Emma, Neal and August all assured Ruby that these were very subdued compared with what the rest of this land did. Neal and August also got together in setting up an ice skating area. Ruby was delighted that Victor took to the ice without any encouragement.

Victor was approaching the holiday with a brighter mood than even he expected. When he had a beautiful wife to warm up with and friends to laugh with, it all seemed a lot easier to handle. Henry even got him into building a snowman.

“There are stories where the snowman comes to life,” the boy informed him. “So you _have_ to make one.” Victor could think of no argument for this logic.

“But does it really need a scarf?”

“No, but it would look better with one. And a hat.”

“And a jacket too, I suppose,” Victor commented wryly.

“If you want.” Henry gave him a questioning look. “Haven't you ever built one of these before?”

“No. I can't really say I did much playing in the snow.” Victor patted some snow into place. “I like it, though. And if this guy _does_ come to life, he can't really do much damage without any feet and those twigs for arms.”

“There are some horror movies that think they could do a lot of damage. Didn't you have any snow monsters in your world?”

“Some of my schoolmates talked about a ghost that caused avalanches,” Victor admitted after some thought. “It was supposed to be an old man, I think.”

“Really?” Henry abandoned the snowman, eagerly turning to hear the rest of the story. Victor knew that Emma wasn't going to thank him for this later, but he told Henry all that he remembered anyway. It was nice that someone other than Liza wanted to hear about his world of horrors.

He smiled thinking of Liza and her expression when she saw the gift he was making her. It was a slow process, since he could only work on it a little at a time, but the effort would be worthwhile. Just to make sure she didn't stumble on the gift earlier, Victor kept it with David and Mary Margaret until the night before the exchange.

It was anticipation rather than bad memories that kept Victor and Ruby awake that night, though of course they were not without ways of spending time. It had been a relief when Ruby discovered she liked Victor's smell as much as ever.

After breakfast, they went to get each other's gifts. Ruby's expression shifted to warmth when she tore past the wrapping. “A mixed CD?” Somehow she wasn't entirely surprised: she made no secret how much she loved it when Victor tapped into his artistic side. “I'm going to put it in right now.” She hurried to the stereo, wanting to see his reaction to her gift.

Victor couldn't help smiling to herself watching his wife slide in the CD. The song started up and Liza froze, her head quickly whipping to him. It was a favorite song of hers, but done with Victor's own voice. It'd taken a while to record, since he also provided the piano and violin. He let her listen as he tore into his own gift. 

Now he was the one freezing, staring at the pocket watch. It wasn't exactly like the one from his world, but it was very close. He turned it over in his hands, noting his initials were inscribed on the back. Victor turned it around again and flipped it open to set the time. Inside was a folded piece of paper. Curious, he took it out.

“A crossword puzzle?” He enjoyed puzzles and could tell right away this one was custom-made.

“Yeah. You should try solving it.”

Victor was more delighted than ever. The watch would've been more than enough, but for Liza to make something that challenged him intellectually as well? How did he get so lucky to be with someone who understood him like this?

The CD he made for her had moved on to other songs. Most were instrumentals, reminiscent of his world or hers. He could hear her humming along when the music turned to something she recognized. Victor started filling in the crossword and slowly the answers started to form a certain picture. He swallowed, setting down his pencil.

“Liza... A-are you...?” He almost didn't want to say it out loud. His eyes flicked down to the crossword again. _Expectant. Hopeful. Carry. Conception._ “Pregnant?”

“Handsome and smart. I knew I married you for some reason.”

Victor could find no words. He pulled Liza into his arms, fingers brushing where the new life was growing. Something they had created together. Their child.


	22. Name

Ruby remembered watching Snow go through her nine months of pregnancy; she had helped Snow through the process and encouraged her. None of that prepared Ruby for her own pregnancy. Her moods were erratic, she was sore in places, even the thought of some foods made her gag, and her sense of smell had spiked in sensitivity. She wore her cloak as a precaution, unsure of what the full moon might do to the growing child.

The only relief in all of it was when Snow and David found out they were expecting, too. The townspeople soon became interested in the arrival of a new prince or princess, and stopped paying as much attention to the expectant mad doctor and his werewolf wife.

“If one more person made a crack about our child being born with bolts on their neck, I might've punched them,” Victor grumbled.

“Someone asked me if we were expecting a litter,” Ruby added.

“They do know you're not actually a wolf, right?”

“Sometimes I'm not sure,” she sighed.

“Guess that means we can't name our child 'Wolf', either,” Victor commented. Ruby gave him a sharp look but the spark in his eyes assured her he was joking. “Apparently one version of my story did that,” he explained. 

Ruby was so taken by surprise she couldn't help but laugh. “We really were meant to be.” Victor matched her smile, sweeping her into his arms and pressing a kiss to her mouth. At least that part of their interactions hadn't changed. In fact, sometimes it was hard to let him leave for work.

“We should think of names, though,” Ruby noted after they finally broke the embrace. Their laced hands rested over her swelling belly. “What do you think of Frederick for a boy?”

“Like Gene Wilder's character?” They had recently watched the film during their movie night, and Victor had been surprisingly delighted by all the jokes made about his character and world. “I like that idea. What about for a girl?”

“You pick,” Ruby told him, giving him a gentle poke. He caught her hand and kissed the fingers. She loved his little signs of affection but these days, found it harder to not respond to them with something a lot more intimate.

“Sonia,” he decided at last.

“That's pretty. Where's that name from?”

“Henry told me about a series of games that take place in a world like mine. She's a character in one of them.”

Frederick or Sonia. They had an upcoming sonogram that would give them a visual of their child. Ruby's changing body assured her this was all very real every day but sometimes it still felt unbelievable that all this was happening. Finding a love that accepted and understood her was incredible on its own. But to share her life with him, to have a child with him and anticipate it enough to have a crib built and names chosen... 

She never would have experienced any of this if Regina never cast the curse. She would still be in the Enchanted Forest and Victor would still be in his world. They both would've been able to continue on with their lives, but it would be a lonelier existence. Or worse...

And of course, this child wouldn't even exist were it not for the curse.

“What do you think you would be doing, if we hadn't been cursed?” she wondered out loud.

“I would probably be dead,” Victor answered. “Either Gerhardt would've killed me or I would've done it myself, after finally ending his misery. There are enough bullets in a pistol for both.” Sometimes his blunt language was a little too harsh and Ruby winced at the image. For her part, she knew she would've been okay as playing the best friend and cool aunt, but it would've felt empty. But that emptiness paled in comparison to how it felt thinking of life without Victor.

“Victor...” She chose her words carefully. “This pregnancy... It's going to turn out okay, you know? The sonogram's going to show us a healthy child. You'll be the one delivering the baby; it'll be fine.”

“I'm not sure--” He swallowed hard. “I'm not sure it should be me.” It was hard for him to escape the idea that he would lose everything again. The deaths of his blood family members had hurt, but losing this one would devastate him. And it was so fragile... He knew he wouldn't be able to bear it if something went wrong under his watch.

“Of course it should be you,” Ruby argued fiercely. “You're the only one in the whole town who wasn't cursed with their medical degree. Besides, I wouldn't trust anyone else with our child.”

Victor didn't answer, so Ruby grabbed his hand and dragged him the rest of the way to the hospital. She refused to let go of him, so one of the nurses got her up on the bed and applied the gel for the sonogram.

“Victor. Look at our child.” Victor obeyed, the dark cloud rising as he took in the picture. He turned back to Ruby, his eyes misting over. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. “Say hello,” she encouraged him.

“Hello, Sonia or Frederick.” He leaned down, pressing a kiss on Ruby's stomach. She swore she heard the baby's heart rate change and when she glanced at the screen, it looked like there was movement.

“See?” Ruby lifted his face so she could kiss him. “We are Frankensteins, and our name stands for life.”


End file.
